Netball Australia has handed down more than $80,000 worth of fines to the Melbourne Vixens after a Round 8 match this season against the West Coast Fever had to be rescheduled.
A Netball Australia investigation determined that the Vixens, a club owned and operated by Netball Victoria, breached the Suncorp Super Netball’s participation agreement when they failed to fly to Perth.
The club today accepted a fine of $50,000, with $25,000 suspended for two years.
The Vixens must also pay $31,702.92, which is the total cost of the rescheduled match that took place at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on July 22.
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan admitted that “clearer processes and protocols” must be put in place by the league going forward, with the Vixens also cleared of any deliberate intentions to skip the fixture.
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for our competition this year,” said Ryan in a statement.
“Whilst the investigation noted this was an unprecedented circumstance and there was no deliberate intent to disrupt the competition, we take any breach of the rules seriously.
“Netball Australia recognises that clearer processes and protocols are required for the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball season.”
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CEO of Netball Victoria and the Melbourne Vixens, Rosie King, said they were “disappointed with the outcome” due to the competition not exploring alternatives to assist the club at the time of the failed fixture.
“We are disappointed with the outcome considering the evidence we supplied throughout the review,” King said.
“We are also disappointed that other options initially presented by the league – such as to delay the game for 24 hours to enable the entire team to travel, or to relocate the game to South Australia or Queensland – were not explored or supported, nor was the league’s ‘COVID-19 Decision Making Process’ enacted which would have provided a framework for teams to follow in such circumstances.
“We understand, however, that the environment in which everyone was working in was extraordinarily difficult with the clock ticking and decisions being made under pressure-cooker conditions. The wellbeing and safety of our athletes and staff will always be our priority.
“We hope that the league’s protocols are likewise reviewed as part of a continual improvement exercise.”